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BookCrossing

It’s cute that “Where’s George” tracks dollar bills, but it doesn’t exactly encourage literacy (or even spending). BookCrossing does (well, encourage literacy, not necessarily spending), combining “serendipity, adventure, altruism and literature in a unique mix that true bibliophiles find irresistible. With its similarity to releasing messages in a bottle, or notes in helium balloons, BookCrossing harkens back fond childhood memories. With its connection to literacy, BookCrossing makes an ideal activity with which parents and teachers can encourage children to appreciate both reading and sharing.” Um… what? Let me translate: People put a tracking number on a favorite book, then “release” it (leave it somewhere public) for someone to find, read, and enjoy — and then they can journal about it and “release” it for someone else. How many people? As of this writing nearly 350,000 — and nearly 2 million books are being tracked. It’s fun, it’s cool, and there are even a couple of my books in there.